High Holidays 5784 Seating Reservations

This year, Rosh HaShana 5784 begins on Friday evening, September 15, through Sunday, September 17 and Kippur is Sunday evening, September 24 and Monday, September 25.

Please review the information provided below (click here for a printer-friendly version).

To submit your requests (along with payment information if needed):

Members, click here.

Non-Members, click here.

If you need assistance logging in to your account and/or completing your seat request, please contact Sarah Gross at sgross@shearithisrael.org.

NEW FOR 2023:

After three seasons of unusual High Holidays arrangements, we are pleased to announce that for this year, we are offering options that are different from the most recent years, but not exactly the same as pre-2020. This year’s approach is designed to foster congregational unity, togetherness, and vibrancy in our Main Sanctuary while offering parallel services some of the times.

On Rosh HaShana, we welcome Full Members, Associate Members, and guests to our Main Sanctuary (with no parallel service on Rosh HaShana). For Kippur, all members and guests may choose to be seated either inside our Main Sanctuary or outside on Paved Paradise, our tented pavilion.

Rosh HaShana Main Sanctuary Seating (for ALL):

Seats in the Main Sanctuary are generally in high demand. Please pay close attention to our opt-in seating procedures which require that you let us know if you will need your seats this year. There will be no parallel service on Rosh HaShana.

Individual and Add-On Memberships include one reserved seat in the Main Sanctuary. Family Memberships include two seats, one in the men’s section and one in the women’s section. If you do have a permanent assigned seat, and you opt-in by August 28 we will endeavor to reserve that seat for you for the High Holidays. While we will do our best, there may be circumstances where members are assigned different seats in their area. Please be understanding and flexible in this event. If you do not have a permanent assigned seat and you opt in this year, you will be assigned a temporary seat for this holiday season (in some cases, some, but not all, family members hold permanent assigned seats).

Members may purchase additional holiday seats for family members and guests. Additional seats in the Main Sanctuary for one or all days of Rosh HaShana and Kippur are $200 per person (for guests of Full Members), $225 per person (for guests of Associate Members), $250 per person (for Non-members), subject to availability. Please submit your request if you need additional seats. Seat requests will not be fulfilled without payment and charges for seats cannot be added to your account.

Because Rosh HaShana starts on Shabbat this year, there is no shofar blowing on the first day. Following morning services on the second day (Sunday) at 12:45 pm, a separate shofar blowing service will take place outdoors on Paved Paradise for the community. We will conduct another shofar blowing service 10 minutes before Minha.

Kippur (Main Sanctuary and Outdoor Tented Pavilion, Paved Paradise):

ALL Kippur services (Kal Nidre, Morning/Musaf, and Neila) will be offered both in the Main Sanctuary and on Paved Paradise. You will be asked to select your preferred venue. Both venues are being offered to Full and Associate Members and we will accommodate everyone to the best of our ability. See above for pricing for additional guests which is the same for both venues.

Rabbi Ira Rohde will lead services in the Main Sanctuary accompanied by the Choir and Rev. Zachary Edinger will lead the outdoor services.

Rabbi Soloveichik will deliver his morning sermon both in the Main Sanctuary and on Paved Paradise.

Seating in the Main Sanctuary will be individually assigned, and open (non-assigned) on Paved Paradise.

Important:

• All Members are asked to respond: All Members, even if you DO NOT intend on reserving any seats for Rosh HaShana or Kippur, we very much want to hear from you and ask you to click here to let us know.
• Seat assignments will be honored only for members whose accounts are current. All outstanding balances (membership dues, fees, offerings, sponsorships or other past due items) must be settled before seating requests are processed, and no later than August 28. If we do not hear from you by August 28, we may temporarily reassign your seat for this High Holiday season.
• We have a limited number of designated spaces on the lower level of the Main Sanctuary available exclusively to women with mobility issues (who can, with assistance, manage the short stairwell to the Main Sanctuary). We will also create an additional Women’s section up front in the Main Sanctuary if there is sufficient demand. Paved Paradise is on street level and has no stairs. To request one of these seats in the Main Sanctuary, please contact Sarah Gross at sgross@shearithisrael.org or 212-873-0300 x230. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Any congregant who needs help getting up the few stairs to the Main Sanctuary will be offered assistance using our wheelchair climber and/or staff and volunteers.

• Prices for additional seats include all or any of the services: both days of Rosh HaShana as well as Kippur.  If you don’t expect to attend both holidays, please let us know which one(s) you will not attend, so we can accommodate others. Please email or call Sarah Gross.

We do not wish to exclude anyone due to financial hardship. For financial assistance, contact Sarah Gross.

• Children’s programming and/or childcare is available on both mornings of Rosh HaShana and throughout Kippur (Kal Nidre, Kippur morning, and Neila) and is open to all participants. Please be sure to register your children, grandchildren, or young guests, so we can prepare for them and assure their safety.
• Please comply with the reservation instructions. Bear in mind that our plans are subject to change.

We encourage you to submit your seating and other requests online at your earliest convenience but no later than August 28. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Gross at sgross@shearithisrael.org or 212-873-0300 x230.

Tickets will be sent this year by email (except to those congregants who do not have email, who will receive them by USPS) the week before Rosh HaShana (the week of September 4). Your ticket will include the names of everyone on your reservation, your venue, and seat assignments if you requested seating in the Main Sanctuary (Paved Paradise will have open seating).

You will need to print your tickets at home and bring them to services. Please do not bring smartphones or present digital tickets; paper only please.

To ensure everyone’s security, no one can be admitted to the building on Rosh HaShana and Kippur without a printed paper ticket.

Pricing:

For Members – submit reservations here

Members and Add-Ons are entitled to seats as listed below BUT MUST OPT-IN TO RESERVE:

Member Individuals: 1 seat at no charge

Member Couples/Families: 2 seats (1 men’s and 1 women’s) at no charge

Add-On Members: 1 seat at no charge

Additional guest pricing:

Guests of Full members: $200

Guests of Associate Members: $225

For Non-Members – submit reservations here

Non-Member seat: $250

Price includes all or any of the services: both days of Rosh HaShana as well as Kippur. If you don’t expect to attend both holidays, please let us know which one(s) you will not attend, so we can accommodate others.

Kippur and Succot Offerings

It is our custom to make memorial offerings during Kippur services and offerings of thanksgiving on Succot. These offerings are a beautiful way to memorialize or pay tribute to loved ones and are a vital source of synagogue revenue.

Click here to make your offerings.